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en-usCopyright 2015 AOL, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/30/disney-acquires-lucasfilm-for-4-05-billion-lucasarts-included/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/30/disney-acquires-lucasfilm-for-4-05-billion-lucasarts-included/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/30/disney-acquires-lucasfilm-for-4-05-billion-lucasarts-included/#commentsDisney has just announced its purchase of Lucasfilm Limited, the umbrella corporation responsible for all things Star Wars, Indiana Jones and pretty much anything else George Lucas has ever had his hand in. The purchase will set ol' Walt back $4.05 billion.

Industrial Light & Magic, Skywalker Sound and LucasArts are all included in the purchase price, meaning that Disney has not only found a way to profit from the production of movies that it isn't making, but also how to get Jar-Jar Binks into a Kingdom Hearts game.

The company also announced that Star Wars 7 exists and is aiming for a 2015 release date, which makes this the most insane thing ever. Lucasfilm co-chairman Kathleen Kennedy will become president of Lucasfilm under Disney, and will also act as executive producer on "new Star Wars feature films, with George Lucas serving as creative consultant."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquisitionbuyoutDisneygeorge-lucasindiana-jonesIndustrial-light-and-magickingdom-heartsLucasArtsLucasfilmpurchaseskywalker-soundstar-warsstar-wars-7Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:31:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/19/european-playstation-home-gets-star-wars-indiana-jones-outfits/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/19/european-playstation-home-gets-star-wars-indiana-jones-outfits/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/19/european-playstation-home-gets-star-wars-indiana-jones-outfits/#comments
More LucasArts outfits will hang shortly on the European PlayStation store's virtual racks for those who are spending hundreds of hours in Home. Many of these items are already available in the States or will be with the update on Thursday. Star Wars items include an Obi-Wan costume (with beard), along with Rex, Anakin and Yoda posters. There's also a clone helmet display, homing spider droid prop and AT-ST statue.

For archaeologist adventurers,Indiana Jones' costume with fedora will likely be a must -- oh yeah, along with framed whip for the wall. There are also Mutt Williams, Dovchenko, Mola Ram ("COVER YOUR HEART!") and Henry Jones Sr. costumes. Props include the Staff of Rah, Ark of the Covenant, fertility idol and, ugh ... the crystal skull. And here we'd just about forgotten that movie existed.

If you click this image, it shall become more embiggened than you could possibly imagine

LucasArts has invaded PlayStation Home today with a bunch of new virtual goods and a space to hang out in. Without all of the crime and sudden de-limbing that goes on in the Mos Eisley Cantina, the LucasArts storefront will offer patrons a safe environment to purchase virtual goods -- sorry, no power converters available.

Soon, friends who see that you're playing Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continueson Xbox Live or PlayStation Network won't need to sit idol-y by -- they'll be able to join in. LucasArts has tweeted that it's working on a patch that will bring online co-op play to the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the latest Lego game on the block.

What's more, the publisher has also confirmed that the patch will let players collaborate in the game's level editor, tweeting, "In LIJ2's new co-op, you'll be able to join others as they build and play their levels." As for timing, LucasArts says to "give it a few weeks" before the update is transported by submarine from Cairo to a secret island base Microsoft and Sony's servers.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>co-opfortune-and-gloryIndiana-Joneslegolego-indiana-joneslego-indiana-jones-2LucasArtsMicrosoftpatchtravellers-talesupdateXbox-360Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:21:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/18/direct2drive-slashes-prices-on-lucasarts-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/18/direct2drive-slashes-prices-on-lucasarts-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/18/direct2drive-slashes-prices-on-lucasarts-games/#commentsDirect2Drive is offering some pretty good deals on LucasArts games this week. Three bundles are on offer, one catering to the adventure gamers out there, another for Star Wars afficionados, and a third that combines the first two into a massive LucasArts love fest. The bundles include the likes of Dark Forces, Indiana Jones, KOTOR, Jedi Knight, Monkey Island, Armed and Dangerous, and plenty more. The smaller bundles have been discounted from $49.99 to $24.49, while the massive bundle has been reduced from $99.87 to $39.95. Not bad for LucasArts fans. The sale ends November 23 at 10:00am PT.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dealsdirect2driveindiana-joneskotorLucasArtsMonkey-Islandsalestar-warsThe-Secret-of-Monkey-IslandThe-Secret-of-Monkey-Island-Special-EditionWed, 18 Nov 2009 05:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/vc-in-brief-street-fighter-ii-champion-edition-tg16-and-indi/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/vc-in-brief-street-fighter-ii-champion-edition-tg16-and-indi/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/vc-in-brief-street-fighter-ii-champion-edition-tg16-and-indi/#commentsThis week, the Virtual Console dumptruck has unloaded two new games onto Wii consoles. One is a fighting game with a superior version already on the service, while the other is a pretty good Factor 5 joint for the SNES. If you fancy yourself an Indy fan (not that kinda Indy), then you'll definitely want to check out the video above.

Actually, you should probably just watch it anyway. You know, just to be safe.

Every week, we like to check out what's new on the Virtual Console. We offer these videos as a sort of taste to help you decide whether or not you would want the game in question. We also toss in our own two cents because we're pushy jerks like that.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomindiana-jonesindiana-jones-greatest-adventuressnesstreet-fighter-iitg16vc-in-briefvirtual-consoleMon, 16 Nov 2009 19:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/nintendoware-weekly-wiiware-demos-pokemon-rumble-indiana-jone/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/nintendoware-weekly-wiiware-demos-pokemon-rumble-indiana-jone/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/16/nintendoware-weekly-wiiware-demos-pokemon-rumble-indiana-jone/#commentsThis week, we get our first taste of Nintendo's new WiiWare demos. Surprisingly, it didn't take Nintendo that long to flip the switch for North America, considering the company revealed the long-overdue feature -- and day-one annoyance -- only earlier this month. And on top of the free trial versions of select WiiWare titles (five total this week!), there are also two new Virtual Console titles to enjoy, as well as three new DSiWare games. Hit the break for the full list.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2d-boyaksys-gamesarcade-bowlingart-styleart-style-digidrivebit-trip-beatcapcomdemosdigidrivedsiwareffccffcc-my-life-as-a-darklordfinal-fantasyfinal-fantasy-crystal-chroniclesgaijin-gamesindiana-jonesindiana-jones-greatest-adventuresmy-life-as-a-darklordNintendonintendoware-weeklynyxquestover-the-topover-the-top-gamespokemon-rumblerobot-rescueskee-ballsnesstreet-fighterstreet-fighter-2street-fighter-iiteyonvirtual-consoleWiiwiiwarewiiware-demosworld-of-gooMon, 16 Nov 2009 11:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/01/lego-indiana-jones-2-trailer-is-intentionally-blocky/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/01/lego-indiana-jones-2-trailer-is-intentionally-blocky/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/01/lego-indiana-jones-2-trailer-is-intentionally-blocky/#comments Even though many of your trusted Joystiq editors are a little old to be playing with toys (there's an age limit?), we can't deny having a huge soft spot for the LEGOfranchise tribute games. So, of course we're excited that the Indiana Jones films are being remasteredblock-mastered again, since we heart them too. (Actually, don't get us started on the last one -- sheesh!)

As this newly released trailer shows, the tongue-in-cheek humor, charm and co-op play that's made the previous LEGO offerings so appealing doesn't seem to have been turned town in the tiniest for LEGO Indiana Jones 2-- and we can't wait to create some truly weird stuff with the new level editor. We're thinking of awarding a prize to the editor who devises the most ingenious and playfully painful way to get rid of "Mutt" -- preferably as fast as possible -- since all of our pleas to Lucas to write him out of canon have thus far gone ignored.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>demoDSindiana-joneslegolego-indiana-joneslego-indiana-jones-2lucasartsMicrosoftNintendotrailertravellers-talesWiiXbox-360Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/04/internet-archaeologists-discover-artifacts-of-cancelled-ps3-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/04/internet-archaeologists-discover-artifacts-of-cancelled-ps3-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/04/internet-archaeologists-discover-artifacts-of-cancelled-ps3-360/#commentsOriginally, LucasArts' Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings was planned to be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as well. After a couple of years of troubled development, the next-gen version was shelved, and a few months later the game arrived on Wii, DS, PSP, and PS2.

Unseen64, following a car chase, a fistfight with Nazis, and a trip through a booby-trapped cave, unearthed early footage and screens of the next-gen game. We've got one rough gameplay clip after the break; check the site for more early gameplay and test animations, and decide for yourself if LucasArts chose wisely or poorly.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cancelledindiana-jonesindiana-jones-and-the-staff-of-kingslucasartsMicrosoftXbox-360Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/06/breaking-lucasarts-classics-coming-to-steam-this-wednesday/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/06/breaking-lucasarts-classics-coming-to-steam-this-wednesday/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/06/breaking-lucasarts-classics-coming-to-steam-this-wednesday/#commentsLucasArts is poised to deliver a one-two ... err, three punch for classic gaming fans, beginning with tomorrow's PC release of the first chapter of Tales of Monkey Island, titled "Launch of the Screaming Narwhal." Today, LucasArts announced not only the release date for Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition - it's next week, on July 15th - but also the availability of ten LucasArts classics from the back-catalog, to be made available on Steam this Wednesday, July 8! We spoke with LucasArts CEO Darrell Rodriguez, who told us that this is "a passion project" for him as well as his team. "This is the first time these titles have ever been on digital distribution, and it's something we're all very excited about," he told us this morning. "And this is just the beginning."

That "beginning" includes ten titles from the LucasArts vaults, including adventure gaming classics like Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure, LOOM, and The Dig. Also included in this first batch of games are Armed and Dangerous, LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure, Star Wars Battlefront II, Star Wars Republic Commando, Star Wars Starfighter, and Thrillville: Off the Rails. The press release calls this the "first round of releases" and Rodriguez promises us they've got more in store, including "some bundles that offer some extra value." Those bundles are Steam-only for now, though; a retail package is "something to definitely consider" Rodriguez tells us, though LucasArts has "no plans for them right now."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Darrell-Rodriguezindiana-jonesloomLucasArtsSteamthe-digThe-Secret-of-Monkey-Island-Special-EditionThrillvilleThrillville-Off-the-RailsMon, 06 Jul 2009 13:42:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/29/lego-indiana-jones-2-swinging-to-stores-this-fall/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/29/lego-indiana-jones-2-swinging-to-stores-this-fall/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/29/lego-indiana-jones-2-swinging-to-stores-this-fall/#comments
You may remember that Harry Potter and a second Indiana Jones game were confirmed to be getting the LEGO treatment back in March. LucasArts and Traveler's Tales are finally talking about one of those titles, confirming LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues coming to PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS and PSP this fall.

Though the name is different than the last time we heard about it, the new Indy will still apparently cover the latest film in the series. We can't wait to see if a LEGO fridge can stand up to a nuclear explosion.

That's right, would-be archaeologists and Nazi taker-downers, Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings is making its way to retail on June 9 for the DS, Wii, PSP and PS2. Sure, the prospect of playing as the good Dr. Jones is reason enough to keep your eye on this one, but we would like to point out that this game has magical powers. Seriously, it's able to rip through space and time like a hot knife through butter, pulling any being it wishes (like a smuggler who drops his cargo at the first sign of trouble) into the confines of its disc. We're surprised we haven't seen Dr. Richard Kimble in any of the screens for this one yet.

Despite certain ... differences we may have had in the past, we still remain amongst your loyal throng of followers. As such, we were hoping you could impart some of your potent wisdom unto us regarding the upcoming fedora-fitted Wii/DS/PS2/PSP title, Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings. See, a recent video from StarWars.com shows us a fairly sizable, though incomprehensible Easter egg -- intergalactic smuggler extraordinaire Han Solo will be playable in the game.

Yes, Mr. Lucas, it is neat -- but we need to know how it's possible. Don't feign ignorance. We know you don't let non-canonical events relating to your timeless empires slip into your licensed products. Seriously, give us something. The Millennium Falcon slipped into a time vortex? Mr. Solo is, in fact, an immortal Time-God? Harrison Ford is the Highlander? We know you know. Spill the beans, George. You owe us that much.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DSgeorge-lucashan-soloindiana-jonesindiana-jones-and-the-staff-of-kingslucasartsNintendostaff-of-kingsstar-warsWiiThu, 14 May 2009 15:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/matt-shell-and-the-story-of-indiana-jones-and-the-staff-of-kings/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/matt-shell-and-the-story-of-indiana-jones-and-the-staff-of-kings/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/11/matt-shell-and-the-story-of-indiana-jones-and-the-staff-of-kings/#comments In this video, Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings producer Matt Shell offers a brief outline of the new game's story. He mentions that the team worked closely with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg to get the story right, and it shows! The plot for Staff of Kings is one hundred percent Indiana Jones.

By which, of course, we mean there's a powerful artifact that Indy has to find, and some bad guys fight him in and around moving vehicles as he pursues it. The magical artifact in this game sounds extra cool: the Staff of Kings is Moses' staff, imbued with the power to part waters, "invoke plagues, and bring down pillars of fire from the sky." That sounds a lot better than the Crystal Skull from the last movie, which we believe was used primarily by Dan Aykroyd to hold vodka.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a2madventureindiana-jonesindiana-jones-and-the-staff-of-kingslucasartsMon, 11 May 2009 18:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/04/off-screen-indiana-jones-and-the-staff-of-kings-footage/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/04/off-screen-indiana-jones-and-the-staff-of-kings-footage/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/04/off-screen-indiana-jones-and-the-staff-of-kings-footage/#comments
Several off-screen videos of Indiana Jones and The Staff of Kings from Wiitalia give us the best idea so far of what to expect from the game. At times, the footage reveals how the Wiimote and nunchuk will be utilized in gameplay. The last clip shows the Wiimote being used to fly a plane. Check out all the vids after the break and prepare to whip it good.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>indiana-jonesindiana-jones-and-the-staff-of-kingslucasartsstaff-of-kingsMon, 04 May 2009 11:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/19/pulitzer-prize-winner-george-will-thinks-gamers-shouldnt-be-all/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/19/pulitzer-prize-winner-george-will-thinks-gamers-shouldnt-be-all/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/19/pulitzer-prize-winner-george-will-thinks-gamers-shouldnt-be-all/#comments
Washington Post columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist George F. Will really, really doesn't like denim. In an Op-Ed piece he wrote for the Washington Post this week, he condemns the fabric and in the process, harshly insults gamers, saying, "Seventy-five percent of American 'gamers' -- people who play video games -- are older than 18 and nevertheless are allowed to vote."

On the other hand, Mr. Will does, however, love making disparate correlations -- for instance, between "society's most slovenly" and video game players. In fairness, his tirade doesn't solely focus on games, as he also calls out the Indiana Jones series and television shows such as Seinfeld (a show which, ironically, he was lampooned on as "not too bright.") He says the two are "juvenelized,"and for "undifferentiated audiences," and justifies his assertion on the fabric ubiquity from child to parent. We're thinking of siding with Seinfeld on our opinion of this guy, how about you folks?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>denimgeorge-willindiana-jonesjournalismopinionpulitzer-prizeseinfeldwashingtonpostSun, 19 Apr 2009 20:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/25/new-staff-of-kings-trailer-promises-to-make-you-feel-more-like/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/25/new-staff-of-kings-trailer-promises-to-make-you-feel-more-like/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/25/new-staff-of-kings-trailer-promises-to-make-you-feel-more-like/#comments
Who hasn't pretended to be Indiana Jones when they were a kid? According to this new trailer (after the cut), you can finally get rid of the hat and whip and get the full Indy experience by playing the upcoming Wii version of Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings. The new trailer highlights the various controls made possible by the Wii Remote: punching, rowing, and -- wait for it -- whipping.

Hopefully, the team at LucasArts can get the controls right to fully capture the feel of being Indiana Jones. With that ouf of the way, we can focus on pretending to be the second-best Harrison Ford character: Han Solo the president in Air Force One.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>harrison-fordindiana-jonesindiana-jones-and-the-staff-of-kingslucasartsNintendoWiiWed, 25 Mar 2009 01:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/12/jaffe-loves-indiana-jones-wants-lucas-to-toss-him-the-whip/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/12/jaffe-loves-indiana-jones-wants-lucas-to-toss-him-the-whip/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/12/jaffe-loves-indiana-jones-wants-lucas-to-toss-him-the-whip/#commentsKnown for his adoration of the Indiana Jones franchise, Eat Sleep Play developer David Jaffe recently admitted that the adventurous Indy was a huge inspiration for his God of War work, and that he'd be willing to partner with LucasArts on an Indiana Jones project.

"There was, and will always remain until I get to do it, a desire to work with Indiana Jones in the interactive medium," Jaffe said in an interview with 1UP. "I would still to this day love to do that." Though not much more than a dream at this point, the designer has a plan hidden under his own fedora. "I have a great idea for how LucasArts could really take that property and do cool things with it, and if they're reading this, they should give us a call at Eat Sleep Play. We'd love to talk to them."

We'd just like to say that we're with you, Jaffe. Call up those LucasArts folks, demand a meeting and pitch your heart out. While you're at it, follow your dreams and go after the Metal Gear franchise too. We've got your back.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>david-jaffeeat-sleep-playgod-of-warindiana-jonesjaffelucasartsThu, 12 Feb 2009 09:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/04/classic-lucasarts-artwork-turned-into-movie-posters/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/04/classic-lucasarts-artwork-turned-into-movie-posters/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/04/classic-lucasarts-artwork-turned-into-movie-posters/#comments
All too often when mixing genres, the results - like that Mountain Dew left over from last night - fall flat. However, one enterprising forum-goer has has defied convention (and warmed our hearts), successfully marrying classic LucasArts adventure games with our wall's longstanding desire to be covered in nostalgia.

The results consist of several beautiful posters, most based on original artwork lifted from an era when LucasArts wasn't afraid to point and click, including Tim Schafer and Dave Grossman masterpieces, The Secret of Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle. Designed to be printed and hung, we can't think of a better way to hide that unsightly crack above your bed.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventureadventure-gamesclassicdave-grossmanday-of-the-tentaclefan-artindiana-joneslucasartsmaniac-mansionMonkey-Islandpeter-chanpostersretroscummsteve-purcellThe-Secret-of-Monkey-Islandtim-schaferWed, 04 Feb 2009 08:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/03/new-indys-fate-of-atlantis-bonus-is-wii-only/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/03/new-indys-fate-of-atlantis-bonus-is-wii-only/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/03/new-indys-fate-of-atlantis-bonus-is-wii-only/#commentsWe've updated our post from earlier this afternoon but thought a fresh post might ensure you'd spot it (see? It worked!). We've just heard back from a publicist at LucasArts who told us that, while the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings will indeed feature LucasArts' seminal adventure gaming classic Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, that bonus "will be on the Wii version only." That leaves PS2, PSP and DS gamers all reaching for the same thing: ScummVM.

LucasArts has released the first screens of (the Wii version of) Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings. While they may not look as great as the obviously pre-rendered trailer, the new Wii/PSP/PS2/DS adventure has an intriguing feature list that may help us look past the jaggies-plus-bloom combo.

The game's "Hot Set" environments are "completely interactive," full of objects and features that can be used as weapons. Staff of Kings also features action sequences allowing players to "fly a biplane in a canyon trench, take the reigns of a wild elephant through the streets of Istanbul and navigate a raft down a raging river." The biplane sequence, along with a tank battle game, is even unlockable as a four-player minigame! Even the main game allows for cooperative play.

The Wii version, of course, uses the Wii Remote to control the whip, for both fighting and environmental interaction. The PSP version apparently contains six short-session "burst gameplay" modes, which sound like individual challenge levels.

But, really, who cares about this game: you can unlock the classic adventure game, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis! We aren't sure which systems have the unlockable game; the official website doesn't specify, so maybe it's all of them!

[Update: We've heard back from a rep at LucasArts, who tells us that "The Fate of Atlantis will be on the Wii version only." Sorry, DS gamers. We know ... the stylus seems perfect!]

Wow. So, we might have to lie down for a bit. This teaser trailer for Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings has appeared online to bring a chink of light to our usually miserable Fridays. We are strongly resisting the urge to cartwheel like loons, or to joyously mash our keyboaHJFRAUHIW4RFUIH. Thanks, LucasArts!

Even though this CG teaser shows nothing in terms of actual gameplay, if the finished product can match this for variety, we should have a winner. It'll be on Wii and DS this spring.

A trailer for Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings has popped up online. Watch as Indy gets thrown through a window, escapes floods, uses a whip, steals an amulet, and runs away from gunfire -- all without ever losing his trademark fedora. Yep, all in a day's work.

According to the video, it's coming Spring 2009 for Wii, DS, and an unidentified PlayStation console (it's already been rated for PSP and we know Wii games often see a PS2 port). This is great, LucasArts. Really ... but any chance of getting an Indy game in the vein of Indiana Jones and The Emperor's Tomb on 360 and PS3?

Oh, it all makes sense now: IGN's rumor; the vague response. Sounds to us like that project won't ever see the light of day, while Staff of Kings is LucasArts' "commitment" to the franchise. Is it possible to miss something that was never released?

LucasArts has just released the very first trailer for the upcoming Indiana Jones game, The Staff of Kings. This all-CG trailer says proudly mentions the Wii, but don't be fooled. The PlayStation logos are there because this game's also coming to PSP. We don't see any hint at gameplay in this trailer, but it's good to see that this project is alive and well.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>indiana-jonesindiana-jones-and-the-staff-of-kingslucasartsFri, 23 Jan 2009 18:37:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/indiana-jones-rumored-to-be-canceled-lucasarts-still-committed/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/indiana-jones-rumored-to-be-canceled-lucasarts-still-committed/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/indiana-jones-rumored-to-be-canceled-lucasarts-still-committed/#commentsIGN reports that multiple sources from within LucasArts and beyond have stated that all development on an upcoming X360/PS3 Indiana Jones game has been canceled. Our investigative sister-site, Joystiq, contacted LucasArts and it appears the situation isn't as clear-cut as rumors indicate.

"LucasArts remains absolutely committed to the Indiana Jones franchise," a representative for LucasArts told Joystiq. "While we are aware that fans have been eagerly awaiting additional information on the upcoming game, they can rest assured that details are forthcoming."

LucasArts is vague about the future of the game itself, instead opting to address its commitment to the franchise as a whole. It appears new details for an upcoming Indiana Jones title could spell the bright future or complete demise of the long-teased adventure. Only time will tell.

IGN reports that "multiple sources" at LucasArts and "elsewhere" indicate that the developer's next-gen Indiana Jones game has been canceled; however, Joystiq has contacted LucasArts for an official statement and things don't appear so cut-and-dry.

According to a LucasArts representative, "LucasArts remains absolutely committed to the Indiana Jones franchise. While we are aware that fans have been eagerly awaiting additional information on the upcoming game, they can rest assured that details are forthcoming."

Well, that doesn't sound like the game is dead, although there's certainly wiggle room in that quote to speculate that the long-in-development title has been killed with another taking its place. Of course, that would just be our old friends Rumor and Speculation stopping by to say hi.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ignindiana-joneslucasartsrumorMon, 12 Jan 2009 19:04:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/26/video-service-expands-dark-knight-hancock-indiana-jones-comin/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/26/video-service-expands-dark-knight-hancock-indiana-jones-comin/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/26/video-service-expands-dark-knight-hancock-indiana-jones-comin/#comments
The PlayStation Network video service has been rapidly growing with a plethora of HD and SD downloads and rentals. This holiday will see the service expand to over 1,000 movies and 2,500 television shows. "The consumer demand we've seen for our PlayStation Network video delivery service is phenomenal, and we expect continued momentum this holiday season with a line-up of blockbuster movies that offer something for everyone," said Susan Panico, Senior Director of PlayStation Network. "Complementing this demand for high-definition downloadable content, the new 160GB PS3 bundle enables customers to download and store even more movies, TV shows, games, music and photos, making the PS3 the ultimate entertainment center and holiday gift."

Every year (well, at least since being banned from E3) the grand minions of GameStop Corp. descend upon the dessert oasis that is Las Vegas, Nevada -- with a Capital X -- to become better informed about their retail products, so as to make professional recommendations to their far less knowledgeable customer base. With a few cleverly placed posers, 1UP has infiltrated the sore-thumbed masses of regional managers who have traveled great distances to earn bragging rights over the adolescents who, in turn, loiter inside their finely vacuumed establishments. Finally, some payoff for another hard year of underachievement (remember kids, these are just rumors):

A trailer for a new Indiana Jones game (could it be?) will premiere next week ... after everyone's returned home to Nowheresville.

60 GB Xbox 360 hard drive will be $99 with 3 months of Xbox Live and an ethernet cable; or 12 months of Xbox Live for $70 and a copy of PGR4. Decisions, decisions...

Animal Crossing: City Folk will be bundled with the Wii Speak "community mic" and sold for $70. (And after this, Nintendo will be done with peripherals. Promise. *Crosses fingers behind back.*)

GBA's Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories will get a surprise port to ... (wait for it) ... PS2! [Update: As several commenters point out, a Chain of Memories port remake has been available in Japan since March 2007.]

Visit 1UP for the full range of oohs and ahs. Bet you wish you'd forgone that degree and stuck it out at the strip mall, huh? Just imagine: You could be there. Right. Now.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>60-gb-hddanimal-crossinggamestopgamestop-eXpoindiana-joneskingdom-heartslucasastspgr4PS2PS3rumorWiiXbox-360xbox-liveWed, 10 Sep 2008 17:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/28/indiana-jones-and-the-staff-of-kings-rated-for-handhelds/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/28/indiana-jones-and-the-staff-of-kings-rated-for-handhelds/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/28/indiana-jones-and-the-staff-of-kings-rated-for-handhelds/#comments
A new Indiana Jones game was discovered on PEGI by the keen eyes at Siliconera (as usual). Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings is rated for release on PSP and DS ... and those two platforms alone. Could this be that super-secret Indiana Jones game they don't want us to know about? Of course, rumors of internal problems at LucasArts have cast doubt on the next-generation Indiana Jones game ... which vanished, missing E3 altogether. Perhaps the next-gen versions were scrapped for handheld games? A rating isn't much to go by -- but hopefully, it won't be long until we unravel this mystery.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>indiana-jonespegistaff-of-kingsThu, 28 Aug 2008 15:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/28/new-indiana-jones-game-headed-to-the-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/28/new-indiana-jones-game-headed-to-the-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/28/new-indiana-jones-game-headed-to-the-ds/#commentsWe're used to seeing the ESRB spill the beans on upcoming games, but this time, that isn't the case. Instead, PEGI, the European rating system, informs us of Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings, a new Lucasarts game for the DS and PSP. Sadly, that's all we know, but seeing as how we all love Indiana so much (excluding his latest movie), it's enough for us to get excited.

To put it mildly, it's going to be quite a while before you see an Indiana Jones game on home consoles. The team (if there still is a team) has gone dark and LucasArts has had some troubles as of late. To put it less kindly, if we see it before the next decade our faces will melt off Raiders-style.

But that doesn't mean you'll be completely without video game Indy. Apparently, the PEGI has just rated Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings for the DS and PSP. A perfect way to kill the time until a console release? Or just a painful reminder of Indy's absence? Here's hoping for the former.

I was lucky enough to be able to go up to George Lucas' ranch this Sunday to see a screening of The Clone Wars and to interview the man himself, along with director Dave Filoni and producer Catherine Winder. To top that off, they gave us an insider's tour of the inner working at Lucasfilm and LucasArts.

There's a gallery below filled with highlights from the tour, including the LucasArts gaming lounge, the playtester's room, and their mocap studio. However, the real highlight was... tons of concept art from the "so secret we won't even talk about it"Indiana Jones game that is still forthcoming. It was all dated 2005, so who knows if it'll still feature in the game, but the above image of Indy watching the Golden Gate Bridge being built gives us hope. Find out more after the break.

One notable absence from LucasArts E3 room was any presence of Indiana Jones whatsoever. While they were highly touting Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, and Fracture, they didn't even have a poster featuring a silhouette of Indy and the Hat anywhere to be seen. Not only that, but LucasArts employees visibly bristled whenever we asked about it. "No comment" stung us like a whip several times.

Matt Shell, marketing manager at LucasArts, finally let us know that yes, they're working on something. However, they didn't want to talk about it at all. It just seems odd that they have one of the highest grossing movies of the year, based on one of their most iconic properties, and they don't even want to show us a photo of a whip and say "It's in the game." Jump on that opportunity, Lucas! Especially after you were honking your Euphoria physics engine so loud in 2006.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>E3E3-2008EuphoriaIndiana-JonesjoystiqfeaturesLucasartsPS3Star-WarsXbox-360Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/indiana-johnny-and-the-epic-escape-campaign/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/indiana-johnny-and-the-epic-escape-campaign/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/13/indiana-johnny-and-the-epic-escape-campaign/#commentsLikely capitalizing on this year's box office release for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, developer and publisher Success has announced a new adventure title that features a very familiar-looking archaeologist.

Sporting a dusty brown fedora hat, Jonathan Westwood stars as an escape route specialist in Johnny's Epic Escape Campaign (Jonny no Dasshutsu Taisaku Ikusa). Though he isn't armed with a whip and he doesn't have a short Asian sidekick named Short Round, Jonathan will be escaping from four different scenarios that sound a lot like Indiana Jones movie titles:

Akumu no Gamble Night (Nightmare Gambling Night)

Nessa no Nuikyuu (Labyrinth of Hot Sand)

Nuifu kara no Sasoi (Invitation from Hades)

Wasurerareta Kaizokusen (The Forgotten Pirate Ship)

Johnny's Epic Escape Campaign hits stores in Japan this August 26th, the same day Kingdom of the Crystal Skull opens in Japanese theaters. Swing into our gallery below for screenshots from the game!

Summer blockbusters aren't just good for propping up the sales of crappy new movie-based games ... it turns out they're also good for pumping up the prices of crappy old games based on the same characters. For proof, look no further than the always interesting Video Game Price Charts blog, which shows a distinct and recent uptick in the selling prices for older games based on the Speed Racer, Iron Man and Indiana Jones franchises. Never mind that these games aren't directly related to the new movies, or that the games are universallyawful (well, almost) -- once that old clunker of a game gets attached to a hot new movie, the asking price can get inflated by up to 170%.

We can almost see the logic behind the increased demand, from the average consumer's perspective. After all, why waste $50 on the crappy new Iron Man game that junior is begging for when you can pick up a crappy old Iron Man game for half the price (even after accounting for the recent uptick). The little punk won't know the difference anyway, and the game will get him out of your hair so you can get back to having an affair with the pool boy. It's win-win!

Hoping to drive its axe into a rumor about even more layoffs, LucasArts has reaffirmed its commitment to its internal studios currently working on Star Wars: The Force Unleashedand Indiana Jones. Said director of public relations Margaret Grohne (via Shacknews), "We've always had a good balance between the internal studio and working with external partners. Expect that to continue."

The new rumor stems from Shacknews, who was reportedly told by a reliable source that LucasArts plans to cut 100 more jobs upon completion of The Force Unleashed and outsource the remainder of Indiana Jones. Last Friday, LucasArts confirmed with Joystiq that they had laid off "a portion" of the staff.

The "next-gen" console adventures of Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr. will continue ... and not just in LEGO form. LucasArts has confirmed to Joystiq that the Indiana Jones title first revealed in 2006 is still in development internally at the company's San Francisco offices. Despite yesterday's staff downsizing, there are "no plans to outsource its development to an external studio."

As previously reported, the new Indy title will make use of the Euphoria animation engine from NaturalMotion. LucasArts is also employing Euphoria in The Force Unleashed, and we've already gotten a taste of what to expect from GTA IV's stunning character interaction. Development of "Next-Gen Indy" moving ahead at full steam hopefully means we'll learn more about the title at next month's E3.

LucasArts has confirmed to Joystiq that the company laid off "a portion" of its workforce yesterday, June 5. Margaret Grohne, director of public relations for LucasArts, could not comment on the number of employees affected or which departments they came from. She could confirm that Peter Hirschmann, vice president of product developer, did depart the company yesterday in what was a "mutual decision" with management, and that his "passion and humor will be missed."

According to Grohne, the layoffs are not the result of a shift away from internal product development. "We remain committed to both our internal teams and working with external partners," Ghrone told Joystiq, adding that "[sites] are definitely reading too much into the layoffs; [LucasArts] is not halting internal development."

To that end, Ghrone stated that no titles have been canceled or put on-hold as a result of the layoffs, and that the company is "very proud" of the work done by the internal team creating Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, as well as that done by the staff of Day 1 Studios, who are developing the upcoming original IP Fracture for LucasArts.

Regarding various reports of now ex-employees of the company divulging information online concerning titles such as the next Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars Battlefront 3, and a "lightsaber game" for Wii, Grohne stated that the company cannot comment on unannounced products.

The LucasArts layoffs follow THQ's elimination of at least 200 jobs last month.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BreakingNewsfractureindiana-joneslayoffslucasartsstar-warsthe-force-unleashedFri, 06 Jun 2008 14:41:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/04/producer-hints-at-lego-indiana-jones-sequel/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/04/producer-hints-at-lego-indiana-jones-sequel/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/04/producer-hints-at-lego-indiana-jones-sequel/#commentsIt's only been days since LEGO indiana Jones found itself sitting on a retail shelf and now producer Shawn Storc is already hinting at a sequel. When asked about the latest Indiana Jones film being absent from the new LEGO Indiana Jones game, Storc said "There is so much content in the first three 'Indy' movies that we wanted to maintain focus on those adventures." Makes sense, we suppose. Those looking for more Indy action should not fret, though.

Although nothing has been revealed, Storc still wants you to know there's a chance the latest film can be adapted into a LEGO game. "We don't have anything to announce, but there's always a chance," he comments. That's all well and good, but with the previous titles containing plenty of levels, spanning across several films, could they even make a title based on one movie work?